Dry July NZ Trust

Canterbury DHB has used Dry July donations to purchase six electric beds and two patient chairs for the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, as well as twelve news patient chairs for their Chemotherapy Day Ward. 

As always, the hospital is so grateful for the DJs who raise funds to improve the wellbeing of adult cancer patients.

Waitemata DHB used Dry July funds to purchase tablets for the Cancer Nurse Coordinators to use with patients. Pictured, Clinical Nurse Specialist Breast Cancer Coordinator Louise Bobbitt shows Sandra Sheene Lead Cancer Coordinator how the devices are being used to provide patients with information.

The devices can be used anywhere - on wards, in the out-patients department and in the Breast Cancer Nurses clinical area. Louise says using the device has really expanded how she can share information with patients.

The 2013 Dry July campaign contributed to improving the patient experience for a number of services at Middlemore Hospital. Counties Manukau DHB installed WiFi for the haematology outpatient service enabling patients to utilise this while undergoing day procedures. The DHB also purchased iPads for patients to use and benefit from the available WiFi. The aim of the iPads is to also use the devices for patient education.

Other areas which benefited from the funds were the inpatient medical wards where cancer patients are admitted, including the purchase of Lazyboy chairs to for patient rooms (for patient and family use), chair side-tables, and also roll away beds for family members wishing to stay overnight.

Other items were also purchased including wall clocks, a bioimpedance machine, and CD player.

Auckland District Health Board has purchased examination beds which can automatically be adjusted for patients with limited mobility due to pain and other symptoms of their cancer. These adjustable beds will alleviate the discomfort some patients currently experience in preparation for clinical examination.

A room in the Oncology Daystay ward at Auckland City Hospital is unable to accommodate larger bespoke chemotherapy chairs due to its small size. Patient feedback indicated that the ability to adjust chairs, including to an almost flat position, would be a significant improvement to the static hard chairs that were being used for treatment.

The ward has recently replaced the pre-existing chairs in this room that did not have the ability to be adjusted for patient comfort during treatment with plush Lazyboy chairs, using funds from Dry July.

The ward also purchased roller blinds. The location of Oncology Daystay has rooms exposed to the sun during the hottest times of the day and installing blinds on all 12 windows has significantly improved the patient environment for treatment.

The natural anxiety that patients can experience while receiving chemotherapy as well some drug side effects increases the risk of vasovagal episodes; heat is also a factor in this and the blinds assist in minimising this. In addition, there are several chemotherapy drugs that are light and heat sensitive and patients become concerned about the effectiveness of their chemotherapy drugs when rooms becomes hot.

(pictured: James Wright and Mohammed Zameer)